


Remnants of Lee Taeyong

by Snow_Bunny_Winter



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: "No one" knows where he is, All members appear at some point, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Park Jisung (NCT), Boys Kissing, Boys in Skirts, Bullying, Denial of Feelings, Depression, Diary entries in the chapters, Diary/Journal, Heartbreak, Heavy Angst, Hidden Relationships, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Internalized Homophobia, Is Taeyong dead?, Is he alive?, Jisung finds his diary, Jisung goes on a mission to find him, Jisung is a new comer in a small town, Jisung is bullied, Lee Taeyong & Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten Are Best Friends, M/M, Main character listed though, Male Homosexuality, Mild Sexual Content, Missing Persons, Mystery, OT21 (NCT), Park Jisung (NCT)-centric, References to Depression, Sad and Happy, Sad with a Happy Ending, Secret Relationship, Secrets in a small town, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Sexual Harassment, Shy Park Jisung (NCT), Swearing, Taeyong went missing, This story is inspired by many things, What happened to Lee Taeyong?, Who Knows?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23194285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snow_Bunny_Winter/pseuds/Snow_Bunny_Winter
Summary: Park Jisung had wanted to fit in his whole life but he never could. He had been bullied his whole life over being his true self.  Jisung was the nerd, the loser, the bookworm. He was nothing special to anyone he had met and no one had tried to figure out who he was. Every day, he wished he could have been popular and untouchable, but he would never be.Then, Jisung found a diary when he was hiding from his bullies. He didn't expect to find the diary of someone like him, of someone who hid a lot within himself as well. Jisung decided to go on a hunt to find the man who wrote the diary entries, traveling around the town to the spots mentioned in the diary. Jisung didn't expect to make friends on the way and figure out who he was. He also didn't expect to accept the hidden side of him that he had kept locked away, never wanting to reveal it.In the beginning, He just wanted to finish his junior and senior years. Now, he'll go on a journey to figure out what happened to Lee Taeyong.One entry as a time.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta, Hidden relationships - Relationship, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Moon Taeil/Suh Youngho | Johnny, More relationships to be added later, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 41
Kudos: 128





	1. Tiniest Lifeboat

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy! I wanted to make a mystery book for so long and I finally did now that I have time. (The COVID-19 virus really has changed everything right now)
> 
> Stay safe and let's get through this!

Jisung never wanted to move to this town. He wasn’t happy in his old city, but he was used to it. The bullying and taunts from the same people became nothing to him. Now, it’s new people who bully him and he has to numb himself once again. 

He wished his parents had never found out about the bullying at his last school. He never wanted to move to a smaller town with a tight-knit community. Now, he was bullied for a different reason. He used to be bullied for being the “smart” kid and now he was bullied for being a trespassing newcomer. Jisung sighed as the bell rang for lunch. 

He had attended this high school for two months and there was no sign of improvement. Jisung felt like he was dumped at this school in the middle of the year to fend for himself. At least he was a junior, his suffering would end soon and he could be free from the confines of high school. 

He stood up from his seat and tried to go to the cafeteria before a familiar voice filled his ears. 

  


“Where do you think you’re going,” He looked over to see his bully, Kangmin. Jisung looked away and he said nothing. 

“Just bring me-”

Jisung ran, following his instinct out of nowhere. He ignored the sound of Kangmin shouts and hurried down the hallway recklessly. He needed to get away, he was sick of being an errand boy for Kangmin. He hated how he was such a pushover. He hated a lot of things about himself. 

“Jisung!” A voice yelled and he knew it was Kangmin. Jisung hurried around the corner and looked around frantically. He needed to hide. 

“Where’d he go?” Another voice asked, probably Kangmin’s best friend, Youngjin. Jisung was sure he only joined in because of Kangmin, he would leave him alone when his best friend wasn't around.

  


Jisung ran into the nearest room and closed the door slowly, trying to avoid causing too much noise. He sighed in temporary relief and swatted his hand around for a switch. He managed to find one and realized where he was. He was in the janitor’s closet. It had the faint smell of chemicals coming from a bunch of bottles sitting on a storage unit. There was no doubt that the janitor had spilled some of them in here. He sighed, hoping the slight smell wouldn’t transfer on to him. 

The room was small with little space. Jisung didn’t have room to stretch out and simply sat on the floor. Why did he have to be a loser? He wanted to be himself but that led him to be bullied by his peers. Every. Single. Time. He let his eyes trail and noticed a flat shape under the last shelf of the storage unit. It looked like a book. He raised a brow and slid his hand under, grasping at the shape. Who could have left a book there? The janitor?

He pulled it out and realized it was a red book. He raised a brow and noticed it had a lock on it. Jisung looked under the shelf again and slid his hand under. He cringed when he felt the dust and possible spider webs but then his hand landed on something. He felt the shape and knew it was the key. Jisung pulled it out and wiped his hand off on his pants. Gross. 

Jisung looked at the small key and it struck him. Was this a diary? He looked at the book cover again and realized the initial L.T.Y was written in the left bottom corner of the book. It was written so small, Jisung had easily missed it. It was written in worn away black ink. 

“L.T.Y?” He thought, he pushed the key in and turned it. The lock opened and the strap holding it closed fell out of the said lock. Jisung opened the book reluctantly and noticed how nice the handwriting was. 

Jisung tried to find the date but only stumbled across a year: 2019? 

“So it’s not that old, huh?” He thought. 

Jisung started to read:

  


“It’s been a long journey, I’m finally where I dreamed to be, but now… I hate it. I never knew that popularity was so ugly, never seemed like it in our school. Everyone on the top seemed happy but now I know it’s an illusion. Masks are all the people at this school wear, sometimes it seems like everyone in this town wears masks. The teachers, the students, the families, and even the fucking pets, they all seem fake. 

I’m now a junior and every day I wish I could be out of this school, this town. 

I remember being a happy kid, but then middle school hit and everything changed. Cliques formed and suddenly, I was deemed “uncool” by my old friends. I became the punching bag. I wasn’t Lee Taeyong anymore. I was the cry baby, the nerd, the faggot. 

Then, I got some advice from my cousin and he changed my look. I wore contacts, dyed my hair red, and exercised. Now, I am someone worthy of love and praise… but why am I so unhappy still? What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I be grateful for what I have? I have everything and I still wish I was somewhere else, somewhere far away. Maybe it’s because it seems everyone wants to be a part of my success story. It seems like everyone wants to claim they did something for me before I “hit it big”. What does that mean? Why don’t I see the potential that they keep talking about? The potential that keeps them interested in me. 

I always wanted to do something in music, but my parents tell me that I could do so much more. They don’t want me to waste my skills on stupid dreams. Dreams that keep me living another day. My dreams aren't worth anything to anyone but me. 

I’m the perfect Lee Taeyong. The one who will make my hometown proud one day, the one who will put my small town on the map for all to know. I’ll be a shining star. But… 

I don’t want that. I don’t want the dreams or roles forced on me. I want to find comfort in the hands of a man one day instead of a wife. I want to be a singer, a rapper, not a scientist or doctor making breakthroughs. I want to be but in a town where we wear masks, should I just put mine on? If I don't, will I be pushed off the boat? 

This reminds me of a song… It’s from a musical I like but will never admit to liking it out loud. Musicals are stupid, right? Music is stupid, right?

Even then… the lyrics hit me like a bullet:

Everyone's pushing  
Everyone's fighting  
Storms are approaching  
There's nowhere to hide  
If I say the wrong thing  
Or I wear the wrong outfit  
They'll throw me right over the side

This school is exactly like this. One small thing could come to light and your reputation was down the drain. Everything is done in secret here, under the covers of the night, the good kids go wild. No one knows what happens when night hits, or they pretend to. The lake cabin is the popular spot here for parties. I hate it, smells nothing of cigarettes and alcohol. Yet, I still go, it’s what is expected of the “king” of the school. The king who could be overthrown at any moment if certain things get revealed. 

Still, the weakest must go  
The tiniest lifeboat  
Full of people I know

When will I be thrown off? It’s only a matter of time...” 

  


The door to the janitor closet opened and Jisung looked up in fear. Mr. Min sighed as he stared at him. 

“Kid, get out, you can’t hide in here,” Mr. Min said and Jisung nodded, standing and bowing before heading out. He placed the diary between his arm and the key in his pocket. He rushed over to his locker and hurried to open it, tossing the diary in. Jisung looked around before shutting the locker, making sure it couldn’t be opened. 

He rushed back to his classroom, ready to face his angry bullies. Jisung peeked inside of his classroom and noticed the bullies were absent. He sighed in relief and hurried to his seat, grabbing his backpack beside it. He took out his phone and checked the time. 

Lunch was almost over. 

  


He gulped and put his phone back in his backpack. Jisung forward and thought back to the diary he discovered. He wished he asked the janitor who Taeyong was, but what if he took the journal? He wanted to read it. Was it an invasion of privacy, yeah… 

But when he read those words, he felt like at least someone understood him and his feelings. He felt connected the moment he almost finished that entry. Not to mention, he was also...

There were a few lines left, now he was left in anticipation. Jisung would hurry when school was done and rushed to his locker. He would take the diary and run before Kangmin could try anything. He couldn’t take a chance. If the bully saw the diary, would he destroy it thinking it belonged to Jisung? 

The bell rang and lunch was now over. It would only take a few moments before the classroom would fill up again. There was no doubt he would receive glares from across the classroom. This was the first time he had ever run away from Kangmin, he wasn’t sure what would happen. 

The teacher entered and sent a smile his way. He forced one back before taking out his books from his desk. Jisung ignored the familiar chatter coming closer and closer to his classroom. He focused his eyes on the books and notebook on the desk, fiddling with a pencil in his hand. 

  


“Jisung,” Kangmin called and Jisung looked over . “Where were you?”

“I…” Jisung didn't know what to say. 

“Whatever, just watch yourself after school,” Jisung knew that was a threat. Was he going to be beaten up? Great, how would he explain bruises to his parents? He didn't want to move again.

He looked down at his desk and wished for the best, focusing on the teacher's lecture to deny the dread in his chest.

  


The hours passed by and eventually, it was a few minutes until the bell rang, signaling the school day was over. Jisung let his fear grow as each second ticked by and he could feel eyes on him. What would he do? What could he do? No one cared about him at this school? What if he had to move again? Wh-

The bell rang and it felt like his world was going to come down. He looked over at Kangmin who smirked at him and Jisung knew what he had to do. He shot up and grabbed his backpack, dashing to his locker. Maybe he could get the book and escape before he got beaten? Jisung turned the combination quickly and slammed open his locker. He ripped out the diary and put it in his backpack, before closing the locker.

He was lucky to be so quick on his feet. If he wasn’t, he would have been beaten up many more times in his life. Jisung hurried to the exit and checked his surroundings, not seeing any of his bullies. He dashed away from the school and into the safety of his home. His home wasn’t too far from the school as the town was rather small and clustered together. Everything seemed nearby and cramped.

By the time he got home, his breath was ragged and he was covered in sweat. Jisung started to catch his breath as he entered his home and went upstairs, heading into his room. He sighed in relief when he shut the door behind him. Neither of his parents was home yet. He jumped on his bed and opened his black backpack. He took out the diary and dug around in his pocket for the key. Luckily, he found it and he unlocked the diary, finding the page he had left off on. 

“Okay, time to read the last part,” He thought:

  


“When will I be thrown off? It’s only a matter of time before someone comes and takes my spot. When that happens… will it be everything I wanted or will I want to fight for my spot back? I don’t know. I just want to be happy. Whatever… 

The principal told me there would be a new student tomorrow. I think his name started with a ‘T’ and apparently, he’s a foreign exchange student. Regardless, It’s time to do what I do best: Be a role model for the student and encourage him to put on a mask like the rest of them here. It’s the only way to survive.”

  


Jisung flicked through the pages and noticed that every page seemed to be filled. His eyebrow raised when a piece of paper slipped out of the diary. He picked it up and looked at it. It was a picture of two boys, one had his arm wrapped around the other’s shoulder. One boy had white hair and the other had black hair. They both smiled as the black-haired one took the picture, holding the camera away from them. Jisung flipped it over to the back where two phrases were scrawled on the back.

“Tae and Ten - Best Friends For Life.”

“You’re my better half- Ten” 

  


Jisung turned the picture back over to the front. He looked at the picture closely. So one of these boys was Taeyong and the other one was Ten. He hadn’t mentioned Ten yet, maybe it would happen later? Jisung closed the diary with the picture placed inside and locked it. He grabbed the key and diary and placed them back in his backpack. 

There was only one thing that was still bothering Jisung. 

Why did the one with the white hair seem familiar?


	2. Five Times Two

Jisung got dressed for school and sighed. He didn't want to go back there. Jisung looked over at his backpack and took out the diary. He trailed his eyes over the cover and decided to open it, grabbing the key from his bag next. When he opened it, he skipped to the next entry, helpfully marked with the number two. Yet, there was again, no date. Jisung was puzzled by the choice but started to read.

  


“Today was another day. Another day of putting on a mask. I walked into the school with my head held up, not because I was confident, but because I can’t seem weak. The weak get picked apart by the vultures in this town and I won’t be the roadkill they target. 

I had forgotten about the exchange student until I got stopped by the principal. I cringed when he told me. I was normally on top of everything, how could I forget? That’s easy to answer. Because I’m so fucking tired. I get no sleep trying to keep my grades perfect and friendships in check. I’m probably whining, I know how many people would kill to be in the same situation as me. 

So my morning was shit as I had to run over to the office where the student was. I didn’t know what to expect, maybe a shy kid who could barely speak Korean properly? Maybe someone who looked like an average foreigner? I didn’t expect to lay my eyes on him. 

Ten. 

His full name is long and hard to say, but it doesn’t matter. Ten was the last person I would expect to show up at our miserable school. I remember entering the office, ready to guide him when I froze. He was so different. I remember he said-”

  


“Hello there, are you the one who’s gonna show me around?” Ten asked in perfect Korean, stunning Taeyong. 

“Yeah I am, I’m Lee Taeyong, a junior,” Taeyong held his hand out and Ten smirked. He shook Taeyong’s hand with black nail polish covered nails in full display. 

“Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, but you can call me Ten. I’m a junior too,” Taeyong blinked at the long name but forced a smile. 

“Nice to meet you, let me see your class number.” Ten passed Taeyong the sheet with the information and Taeyong's eyebrows raised. 

“Oh, we have the same classroom, it’ll be easier to show you around then,” Taeyong spoke and Ten had a small smile. 

“Someone like you showing me around? How lucky am I?” Taeyong blushed at Ten’s comment which made the boy laugh. “Cute. Didn’t peg you for a shy type,”

“Let’s hurry to class, we don’t want to be late,” Taeyong forced out and Ten nodded. The exchange student followed him with a smirk still resting on his face. 

“So, where are you from?” Taeyong asked, looking over at Ten.

“Thailand,” Ten answered and Taeyong hummed. 

“Cool,” Taeyong looked over and took in Ten’s features.

He had a couple of piercings in both ears and wore a little makeup. Luckily, their school wasn’t strict and allowed more creative expression as it was in a small town. If it was strict, Ten would have to take out his piercings and wipe off his makeup and nail polish. Taeyong looked at Ten’s hair next. The boy had short bangs and his hair shaved on the sides, a unique style. 

“If you keep staring, you might fall in love with me,” Ten spoke, “Which I wouldn’t mind.”

Taeyong blushed and stammered an excuse, “Sorry, I’m just curious about you. We have other foreign exchange students but you’re our first Thai exchange student,”

“Well, you can get to know me more anytime.” Ten winked and Taeyong sighed.

“If you keep that up, you’ll be a target fo-”

“I don’t care what anyone thinks about me or if I'll be a target, Taeyong.” Ten interrupted, “No one will tell me who to be, I live the way I want to”

Taeyong stared at Ten with wide eyes before clearing his throat. “Well… We’re here,”

Ten looked at the door to the classroom and entered while Taeyong trailed behind him, still in shock. 

He watched as Ten spoke to the teacher. The teacher pointed to a desk that was to the right of Taeyong’s seat. Was Ten going to sit beside him? He gulped and took out his supplies. He tried to ignore the sight of Ten sitting in the seat beside him. 

He had Jaehyun… whatever they were. He didn’t know why he was enamored by Ten. He seemed different than most of the people here, most of the people at his school. Ten had an energy that he had never seen. 

“Hey, Taeyong?” Ten spoke, snapping Taeyong out of his thoughts. 

“Yeah?”

“Maybe you could show around town? Since I’m new here?”

Taeyong wanted to say no, that it was too much. 

But...

When he looked in Ten’s eyes, he felt weak and blurted out a yes. He didn’t know why he said yes, but he did. Ten smiled at him and scribbled something on a piece of scrap paper. He handed it to Taeyong who simply looked at it with curiosity. 

“It’s my Kakao and phone number, text me,” Ten said and Taeyong nodded before shoving it in his backpack. 

“Okay,” Taeyong tried to act cool but inside he didn't know what he felt. 

“Thanks,” Ten said before taking out supplies from his backpack. 

Tae-

  


“Jisung! Breakfast is ready!” His mother called, snapping him out of his focus. He locked the book and tossed it into his backpack with the key shoved in his pocket. Jisung stood up and hurried downstairs, sitting at the table with his mother. They rarely had breakfast together, even more rarely does his father join them. He knows they love him, but at times it’s hard to feel that. 

He forced a smile at his mother when she placed eggs and bread in front of him. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t cook more, I know I was in the mood for some meat,” His mother sighed, sitting down across from her son. 

“It’s fine, It’s better like this,” Jisung spoke, “I can’t have a large breakfast anyway since I need to get to school,” 

“Oh okay…” His mother looked down at her plate with a frown, “How’s school? No one is messing with you, right?”

“No,” Jisung lied, “You know what? I’m going to be late, sorry mom,” Jisung stood up and his mother nodded even though he could see her hurt expression.

“Bye, mom,” Jisung said quietly, tossing the backpack over his shoulder and heading out the house. He looked back at the door with a somber expression before walking to school.

  


He hated his school, but at least he found that diary. It gave him something to focus his time on. 

When he finally made it to school, Jisung hurried to his locker and tossed the diary in with a few books. He walked to class and sat down in his seat. He looked over to the front of the class where his teacher stood, trying to avoid making eye contact with any of his bullies.

“Jisung…” A voice called and he froze. 

“Hi… Kangmin…” Jisung spoke, Kangmin laughed and placed his hand on Jisung’s shoulder. He winced at how the bully gripped him so tightly. It hurt.

“You keep running from your friends… what’s that about?” Kangmin asked and Jisung gulped. 

“I had to go home, my mom needed me…” Jisung said and Kangmin laughed. 

“Alright, just don’t keep running away from me.” Kangmin patted Jisung’s back roughly and moved to his desk.

  


He was screwed.

  


Jisung ignored the whispers coming from Kangmin’s direction. They probably were talking about what they would do to him. Jisung doubted they could do anything as bad as the people at his old school, but he was still scared. He wished he could run away, leave the classroom and this shitty town, but he couldn’t. He was too young, too alone. 

Jisung flinched when the bell rang, was it lunch already? He sighed and looked over at Kangmin, he was busy talking to Youngjin. Jisung took the chance and snuck out the classroom before grabbing the diary from his locker. He looked around the halls before his eyes locked on to the bathroom. He ran in and locked himself in a stall, inspecting the toilet before sitting down on it. 

He was lucky the one he picked wasn’t a disgusting mess. 

Jisung sighed and unlocked the diary and started to read from where he left off.

  


“I don't know why I’m so enamored by him. Is it because he’s attractive? I don’t know and it’s frustrating me. He’s different and maybe that’s what I crave? Something or someone new in this town of masks. He seems so brave and confident, flirting and giving me his number. I can’t even tell if his flirting is genuine or not though… 

But even so… He's someone I wish I could be. Someone who can lash out and be honest about his feelings. There was a self-introduction the teacher made Ten do for the class but no seemed interested like always. Whether foreign or not, no one cared about new students at their school. But, all hell broke loose later when the class was allowed to ask questions about Thailand. This random jock named Hyunho asked-”

  


“Aren’t you all poor over there?” 

“Excuse me?” Ten spat, “Maybe I didn’t hear you right? What did you say about my country?” 

“You’re all dirt poor right? Everything is a lower class compared to Korea. Is that why-”

“Shut the fuck up!” Ten yelled, making the jock flinch, “You say anything about my home again and I'll gladly shove my foot up your-”

“Ten!” The teacher boomed, “Don’t use that language! Now, Hyunho, you should apologize to Ten. You shouldn’t have said that to him,”

“Yeah right, why should I apologize?” 

“I’ll show you why you should apologize,” Ten growled and Taeyong sighed before raising his hand. 

“Taeyong?” The teacher questioned, an eyebrow raised. 

“Can I take Ten out of the room for a moment? I think it’ll help him calm down,” Taeyong asked and the teacher nodded. With the permission of the teacher, Ten rushed out of the room with Taeyong following behind him. 

They stood outside the classroom in silence. Ten leaned against a wall with his arms crossed while Taeyong stood, staring at him. He wasn’t sure what to say to Ten. But, he needed to help mend the situation. 

“Ten… Look ignore Hyunho, he’s always like this. He’ll try to find someone’s weak spot and then abuse it. He bullies people like that,” Taeyong explained and Ten sighed. 

“I wish I could have smacked him across the face,” Ten grumbled and Taeyong huffed out a laugh.

“Everyone wants to do that, he’s the annoying guy no one likes,” Taeyong revealed and Ten laughed. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.” Taeyong moved to lean on the wall, standing beside Ten, “He got decked in the face by a girl when he talked about her sister’s hair. She broke his nose and ever since then he’s careful around people willing to challenge him. I doubt he’ll mess with you again and if he does, a punch will shut him up,”

Ten’s smile returned, “Thanks Taeyong, that makes me feel better,”

“No problem, now let’s get back to class,” Taeyong said, gesturing to the door of the classroom.

“Okay,” Ten said and they entered the classroom. Ten sat down and when Hyunho glanced in his direction, he glared and the jock snapped around. Taeyong held in his laugh and focused on the notes he needed to take. 

Ten really was something special.

  


“I’ve never seen someone get so mad before. Hopefully, no one will get killed, and by that I mean Hyunho. Despite being an athlete, the guy can't fight for shit. I remembered how that girl basically knocked him out in one hit. At least my boring classroom will get more interesting: B-10 sucks. It’s full of masks but can I judge when I wear a mask too? 

Whatever, I didn't sit in the cafeteria with my “friends’ and sat in the library today. If there is anything else that happens, I’ll write more. Fuck. I’ll need to shove this book in my locker before class cause if this book falls in the wrong hands, I’m fucked. I should’ve waited until school finished to write but... I wanted to write everything down while it was still fresh in my mind.

Hopefully, the rest of the day passes by fast,”

  


Jisung flinched when he heard people enter the bathroom and prayed it wasn’t Kangmin or Youngjin. When the voices spoke, he sighed in relief. It wasn’t them, just some other students. He locked the diary and opened the stall before hurrying out unaware of the eyes following his back.

Jisung hurried to his locker and shoved the diary in there before closing it. He turned around and froze when he realized Kangmin stood in front of him. Kangmin backed him against the locker with an expression that terrified Jisung. He looked pissed.

“What did I say about running away?”

“I’m sorry, I-” Kangmin slammed his hand beside Jisung’s head, making him flinch.

“You keep pissing me off when you don’t listen, should I just beat your ass to-”

“Who do you think you’re threatening?” A voice popped up and Jisung looked over to see a well-built boy with black hair. 

“J-Jeno, I was just-

“Just what?” Jeno interrupted, “Messing with a friend of mine? Do you want trouble with me?”

“N-no.” Kangmin backed away from Jisung and bowed, making Jeno scoff. 

“Go and if I see you mess with him again, you’ll regret it.” Jeno took a step forward and Kangmin ran off. He ran off so quickly that Jisung couldn't even process what had happened. 

“You okay?” Jeno asked and Jisung managed to nod. “What’s your name?”

“Park Jisung… Thank you,” Jisung spoke and Jeno smiled.

“If anyone messes with you again, tell them you’re friends with me, they’ll know better than to keep messing with you,”

“Thank you,” Jisung repeated and Jeno waved before walking off. 

“Why did he help me?” Jisung thought before the bell rang and he walked to class, sitting in his seat.

  


Jisung took out his supplies to take notes, but he thought back to Kangmin and decided to look over at the boy despite his better judgment. When his eyes moved over to Kangmin’s direction, the boy looked away scared. Jisung could feel his eyes widen in shock. Was he seriously scared of him now? Jisung couldn’t believe it. Who was Jeno? Why was Kangmin so scared of him that he would leave Jisung alone? That he wouldn’t even spare him a glance?

Jisung looked away and focused on finishing his day. He didn’t know what to think besides to never make an enemy of Jeno if he was that terrifying to Kangmin. Why would he help Jisung though? The boy sighed as he hoped he wouldn’t run into Jeno again. He might have saved him but Jisung knew there was something up with him. What did he want in return for helping him?

“Fuck,” is all Jisung could think.


	3. Missing Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a long time! Online school's been making me busy! Hope you enjoy.

Jisung sighed as he woke up the next day, he had stayed up late doing homework. His eyes felt like they would permanently shut if he closed them. He hopped out of bed and threw some water on his face before getting ready. He needed to wake up… 

Jisung stumbled over to his closet and grabbed his uniform, tossing it on. He wasn’t in the mood to go to school today but that wasn’t a reason to skip and risk his grades. Jisung hurried to pack his backpack when he saw the diary that stood out in his backpack. He could take a few minutes to read some pages, maybe it would help wake him up? He unlocked the book and flicked to the page left off.

  


“Nothing else happened after lunch; the rest of the school day was as boring as usual. But, I did message Ten when I got home after school. We talked for a while actually… I think he could be a good friend if I weren't so attracted to him. I need to stop these thoughts. I’m… with Jaehyun? I don’t know. Our relationship is releasing built-up tensions, but there are times where I do think we’re dating. When he holds my hands, when he listens to my worries, and when he tells me he’d love me forever… 

But then… I’ll see him kiss someone at that lake cabin and it gets ruined. My feelings are almost gone. 

The thing is… I always act unbothered and forgive him but I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  


Jisung’s phone beep causing the young boy to jump in surprise. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and saw a text from his father. 

“Have a good day, I’m sorry we can’t spend more time together!”

Jisung rolled his eyes but messaged, “It’s okay, we’ll spend time soon,” He knew that was a lie. 

Jisung never saw his dad often. He didn't see his mom often either. They both worked a lot. The most time they've spent together was when his parents found out he was being bullied. He hated that his parents had such a fake concern for him. They tried to hide it from him, but the reason they were so willing to move was due to his father’s job needed him to. If they didn’t, Jisung would still take beatings in the locker room of the school and spat on. He also could have switched schools but there was no doubt in his mind that his old bullies would find him eventually. 

He knew his parents tried to make themselves look better than they are, he overheard the conservation. He knew the truth. 

But, he didn’t doubt they loved him. They just… 

Jisung sighed and decided to hurry to school.

  


Jisung closed the diary and shoved it in his backpack with the key. He walked out of his room and hurried to the front door to put on his shoes. He didn’t eat breakfast. He never did. Jisung hurried his way out of his lonely home into a lonelier school. One where every student suffered but popularity would decide how much it would be. 

The diary gave Jisung something to look forward to, something to bond and identify with. But the question still remained, where was Lee Taeyong? Why did he leave his diary in the janitor’s closet? These mysteries could be solved if he read more. Especially now with Kangmin out the way, hopefully, he could do so.

He then remembered Jeno. What was his purpose? Why did he give him protection? What would Jisung have to do in return? Jisung sighed and felt the screams in his chest bury themselves back in. They were never to be released rather pent up instead. He always had pushed in his emotions.

He just hoped he didn’t walk into a worse situation with the boy. He looked strong and Jisung didn't need to get his arm broken again.

  


Jisung made it to the doors of his school and stood there for a moment. He gulped and hoped that Kangmin would stay away again, that he would be too fearful. 

He walked up the stairs of the school and entered his class with cautious eyes flickering around. Kangmin sat at his desk and looked over at him for a split second before moving his eyes away. Youngjin seemed to follow suit with his best friend. 

“Still scared…” Jisung thought and sat down at his desk. Jisung could finally breathe in relief or at least he hoped he could. He still had no idea why Jeno had helped him yesterday but it didn’t matter. Today was Friday and he had to make it through the day so he could rush home. 

Jisung checked the time and noticed that the teacher wasn’t in class yet. He had come rather early, around twenty minutes or so. Jisung’s eyes moved to his backpack and the urge to read the diary surged within him. If Kangmin wasn’t going to bully him… 

Jisung grasped the diary and unsheathed it from his backpack, flicking to the page he left off on. Jisung’s eyes trailed to his former bullies; they continued ignoring his existence. He focused back on the book and started to read the words.

  


“I don’t know how much more I can take. Is this love? Does he love me? There will be another party at the lake cabin this Saturday, and I don’t want to go. I never do. All I do is see everyone get drunk and his lips on a girl, trying to pass heterosexuality off like an ugly coat. I don’t think he understands that the emperor has no clothes. He might think he’s lying well, but he’s not at all. Everyone can tell something is happening between us. Even if he bangs a girl upstairs while I sit on the kitchen counter with a beer in my hand downstairs. Maybe not romantically, but they can tell our friendship is strained.

But… Ten seems different though. Nothing like Jaehyun. Like he would be proud if we got together. He wouldn’t freak out if I grabbed his hand and held it as we walked through the school. He did do that today though… 

I hate how these feelings have already embedded themself into my core. Ten keeps “flirting” but I don’t know if he’s being truthful or just joking. I remember how he came up to me when the bell rang for lunch. He said-

  


“Hey, we're still on for exploring town tomorrow?” Ten asked, a smile resting on his face and Taeyong nodded. 

“Yeah, we are,” Taeyong responded with a small smile of his own. 

“Great, it’s a date,” Ten said with a wink. Taeyong flushed, turning his face back to his desk to copy a sentence from his textbook. “You’re so shy, it’s funny,”

“I’m not shy…” Taeyong said, “I’m just not used to stuff like that,”

“Well, you could have fooled me,” Ten said and Taeyong rolled his eyes. 

“I’ll cancel the plans,” 

Ten laughed. 

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore,” 

Taeyong blushed more.

“So... do you wanna grab some lunch?” Ten asked.

  


Taeyong started to decline but Ten looked at him so expectantly, like he wanted him to say yes. Normally, he would go to the library but Taeyong was too weak to decline and stopped midway. He nodded instead. 

Ten beamed and grabbed Taeyong’s hand, pulling him from the seat and stringing him along to the cafeteria. 

Taeyong stared at their interlocked hands with widened eyes. He should pull away. He should. Yet the feeling of warmth made him smile. Ten had no shame, he didn’t care about anyone else's opinion and for once... Taeyong let himself indulge in the affection rather than tearing away. Plus, what would people say? Taeyong was the “straight and normal” king of the school, talking bad about him would lead to being shunned. Everyone liked or wanted to be him so anyone who negatively talked about him was bullying the school's "angel". 

Yet, that didn’t mean his place couldn’t be snatched away in the blink of an eye. Especially if someone else became more loved than he was.

  


Ten pulled him into the cafeteria and he could feel the eyes land on him. Taeyong felt his cheeks redden from the attention but he kept his composure. His eyes were locked on the food, not on the hand still holding his.

“Taeyong, what’s wrong?” Ten asked and Taeyong’s gaze lingered on their locked hands. For the first time, Ten blushed and pulled his hand away. The redness on his cheeks looked pretty. 

“Sorry,” 

“It’s fine, I don’t mind,” Taeyong blurted, Ten smiled while he died inside.

“I’ll do it again later then,” Ten said with a wink making Taeyong roll his eyes again.

“Sure you will,”

Taeyong grabbed a tray but before he could speak there was a tap on his shoulder. When he tur-”

  


“Sorry I was late, the traffic was horrible!” His teacher spoke, breaking Jisung from his concentration. Jisung closed the book and shoved it in his backpack. He took out his notebook and ignored the urge to rip out the diary from his backpack and continue reading. The last thing he needed was to get caught with it. It could get taken away or he’ll have to read it out. He didn’t want to out Taeyong and expose his feelings if he was still here. 

Jisung focused on the notes and the work for each of his classes. It was a quiet and simple school day so far. He had finished highlighting his notes when the bell rang, making him jump. He looked up and realized that it was lunchtime. Lunchtime… didn’t Taeyong go to the school library for lunch? Could he find a clue there? Could he find him there? It was unlikely due to them being in different grades but it was something he wanted to try. 

Jisung tossed his backpack over his shoulder. He put some notebooks and textbooks to make it seem like he would study. He moved to exit the classroom when his shoulder was tapped. He turned and jumped, shielding himself out of habit. 

Kangmin stood in front of him with an unsure expression.

  


“Look… I know I have no right to say anything, but stay away from Jeno, he’s…”

  


“Don’t talk to me,” Jisung blurted and rushed away. He ran in the direction of the library, he had dashed past it many times when he had hidden from Kangmin. 

Jisung reached the doors with an unsure expression. Was this a good idea? What if he was here? Jisung shook his head and entered as his eyes shot around to scan the room. There seemed to be a small number of students around which made him less anxious. He took notice of a display board mounted on the wall nearby. It had flyers for events, something he could gloss over.caught his attention was the word “MISSING” on a paper. He walked closer to the board when his blood ran cold.

  


There was a picture of a boy there. 

A boy whose name was Lee Taeyong.

  


Jisung tore out the diary and took out the photo from before. His blood ran cold and his body stiffened. It was him. He was missing. Jisung stuffed the photo back in the diary and stared at the missing poster for a few more minutes in shock. He had a missing person’s diary. He shoved it back in his bag out of anxiousness.

Before he left, he studied the picture. Taeyong wore a smile on his face and his hair was white. He must have gone missing around the time the picture was taken with Ten. He also could have kept that hair color for a long time. Jisung looked at the information on the poster. He went missing last year, last seen at the bakery by the workers there. He was wearing a black hoodie and jeans with sneakers. 

Jisung didn’t know what to think. 

Jisung tore his eyes away from the poster and walked around the library. He wondered where the male had sat. He gazed at the bookshelves and tables when he froze. He noticed engravings on a table. Jisung moved closer and realized it was letters, a few different. YT, JN, JH… Wait… TY? Jisung’s eyes widened and he wondered. Was this Taeyong’s table? Who did the other letters belong to?

He sat down at the table and gazed at the letters again. JH? Was that Jaehyun? Taeyong’s… "boyfriend"?

Jisung took out the diary and hurried through the pages to continue his reading. He needed to get a bookmark, it was annoying to flick through the pages.

His eyes locked with the sentence he left off at. 

“I felt a tap on my shoulder and when I turned it was Jaehyun. I knew him well enough to see that he was not happy, even if he tried to force a smile on his face. I don’t know what got into him. Anyone could see the daggers shooting from his eyes and who they were locked on.

Ten. 

Ten looked worried and I sent a smile in his direction while holding my ground with Jaehyun. I’m never letting Jaehyun see me scared of him, that’s what he wants. He wants me to be too weak to leave but he doesn’t know that I’m at my breaking point. He never knows because I’m a better actor than him in every way. Even a child could see how he glared at Ten.

He spoke-

  


“Who’s this?” Jaehyun asked and Taeyong sighed. 

“Ten, a new exchange student from Thailand,” Taeyong answered as he moved to the station in the lunch line. “Why?”

“Why? He was holding your hand-”

“What does it matter to you?” Taeyong interrupted, “He’s my friend,”

Jaehyun grew silent, staring at Taeyong in disbelief. 

“You’ll really let him ruin your reputation?”

“He won’t but you will if you keep acting like this in front of people. What will they think if they see you acting possessive for no reason?” Taeyong spat and Jaehyun looked like he wanted to say something but walked away instead. 

“Is he okay?” Ten asked when Taeyong came out of the lunch line. Taeyong nodded but he could see that Ten wasn’t convinced. 

“Let’s go to that table over there,” Taeyong pointed to an empty table, and Ten raised a brow.

“Don’t you want to sit with your friends?”

“Not today, I’d rather sit with you,”

Ten let out a laugh, “You can be smooth when you want to be Taeyong,”

“Really? Haven’t noticed,”

He ignored the eyes on him and sat with Ten at the empty table. He looked over at the table where his friends sat and noticed how Jaehyun was staring. The others threw occasional glances, especially Doyoung and Sicheng. Taeyong ignored them and focused on talking with Ten, getting to know him better. 

“I’m pretty sure your friend is glaring at me,” Ten said and Taeyong shook his head. 

“Probably jealous I’m talking to someone like you,” Taeyong said before cringing, making Ten laugh. 

“You’re so bad at flirting, it’s cute,” Ten giggled, “But who’s that over there? With the black hair?”

“That’s Johnny,” 

“He’s handsome,” Ten said, “Nothing compared to you though,”

“Do you always have to flirt?”

“Only with someone cute as you,” 

Taeyong hoped that Jaehyun was seething with rage as he saw him blush from the comment.

  


“The bell rang and we walked back to our classroom. I ignored Jaehyun when he called me, I wasn’t in the mood for fighting with him. We’ve been doing more of that lately, especially since I’m denying him more. 

But it doesn’t matter. He’s not entitled to me or my time. 

The only thing I’m looking forward to is hanging out with Ten tomorrow regardless of what anyone thinks. He’s someone real, someone I could let down my guard with. 

Someone who’s not afraid to be around me.”

Jisung closed the diary with a sigh and looked over at the carvings once more. TY… Taeyong… What happened to him?

Jisung checked the time on his phone. Lunch would end in three minutes, he should head back. Jisung stuffed the diary and phone in his bag before standing. Tossing on the backpack, he moved to exit the library when a voice interrupted his plans. 

“Hey, Jisung,” Jisung turned and saw Jeno there with a smile. Jisung gulped and waved reluctantly with a forced smile. 

“What are you doing in the library?” 

“Oh…” Jisung tried to think of an excuse, “I wanted a quiet place to study some of the lessons from class,”

“Cool,” Jeno said, “I hang here with my friends, if you want you can join us sometime,” Jeno pointed his thumb over his shoulder. Jisung’s eyes looked over to see what Jeno was pointing at and saw a table with a few others. 

He noticed a boy with blue hair who seemed to stare at him. Jisung looked away before he could analyze the others and shrugged. 

“M-maybe? I like to study though…”

“We study too, we’re not that talkative,” Jeno spoke and Jisung nodded.

“Okay, I’ll see when I can,”

“Cool,”

  


Jisung bowed and hurried out the library, ignoring the eyes on his back. He rushed back to his classroom and sat at his seat, ready to finish the rest of the day. Jisung took out the books he shoved in his backpack and placed them on top of his desk. The teacher entered at that moment and smiled at him, he returned a smile the best he could. 

The rest of the day went off without a hitch. He walked to his locker and opened it, ready to put his books in there, when a yellow card fell down. He raised a brow and bent down to grab it. It looked like an index card. Jisung grabbed it and took a look at the blank side, the side it landed on.

  


It had a smiley face and the words, “Please smile!”

  


Jisung flipped the card over and looked at the lined side of the index card. He read the paragraph written on it:

“Hey! You don’t know me but I noticed you when you first came to the school. You stood out a lot to me since you looked like a confused puppy lol. I haven't seen you smile yet though… I wish you would. Sometimes you do, but it's never genuine. I can tell. Most of the time, you always look so serious and upset, but I haven’t had the courage to go up to you. To try and cheer you up. Let’s stay strong and I hope one day I’ll be able to talk to you.

Sincerely, 

Your admirer.”

  


Jisung flipped the card around and looked at the smiley face again. He was… confused. Someone noticed him? They want to talk to him? They want him to be happy? Who could it be? 

Now he had two mysteries to solve. It seemed like his life was getting more and more unpredictable since he found the diary.

He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.


	4. Chapter 4

Jisung laid in bed while flicking the yellow card around. He kept rereading the messages written on them and sighed. He sat up and grabbed the diary, opening it. His eyes trailed to the yellow index card again. 

“Guess I’ll use that as a bookmark?” He thought before reading the next entry. 

“I woke up early today and got ready to give Ten a tour of town. I have to admit I was nervous, especially because he was wearing something… somewhat exposed. I think my cheeks burned hotter than the sun when he came out of his house. It was a crop top, ending a few centimeters below his ribcage. I’ve never seen a male wear something like that around here before. It caught me off guard. He said-”

“You’re so red,” Ten commented, a smirk on his face. 

“Yeah, right,” Taeyong denied, even though he could feel the burning of his cheeks. 

“Anyway…” Ten said, “Where are you taking me first, prince charming?”

“There’s this coffee shop nearby, it’s called “Coffee Calamity”. We’ll go there first,” 

“Lead the way, handsome,”

Jisung closed the book and began to think. Coffee shop? He thought he saw it when he walked past school and he did have money saved up… 

He jumped off his bed before he could give the idea a second thought. He tossed on a hoodie, shirt, and jeans before grabbing an old, empty, black backpack from his closet. He tossed his phone, wallet, and the diary in the backpack before rushing to the front door of his house. 

As he slipped on his sneakers, he heard a voice call him. 

“Jisung?” His father asked, “Where are you going?”

“Friends called me to hang out,” Jisung lied, tying his shoelaces. 

“Oh… well have fun?” 

“Yeah, I will,” Jisung spoke, exiting before his father could say anything more. 

He walked out his home and tried to recall the location he saw it at. Jisung followed the normal path he took to go to school, looking out for a coffee shop. After a few minutes, he spotted it. 

It was a small place, a simple coffee shop owned by some family in town most likely. Jisung walked up to the door, gripping the handle hesitantly. Should he go in? Why was he so desperate to follow the trail of this stranger? Shouldn’t he just hand this to the police?

They did say curiosity killed the cat…

But satisfaction brought it back. 

Jisung entered the coffee shop, ignoring the doubts in his mind. The bell sounded off as he entered, the noise making him flinch before he took in his surroundings. It was a simple establishment, the color of the browns of coffee mixed with the theme of space. It was interesting, something unique in a town that didn't want to be so. The black and blue walls were covered in silver stars, yet the floor, tables and chairs were simply a brown wood. However, it wasn't a jarring contrast.

Jisung looked around like a lost puppy before walking to the counter. He saw a shorter male behind the register with simple brown hair and a kind vibe. Jisung could vaguely recall seeing the male in the halls of school and felt the urge to leave despite the male’s demeanor. 

“Hey, you’re the new student!” The male said and Jisung nodded. “My name’s Moon Taeil,”

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Park Jisung,” Jisung spoke and the male smiled. 

“I think I’ve seen you around the school before, it’s nice to finally get to know the new student. Anyway, what would you like to drink?”

“Um…” Jisung stared at the menu above Taeil for a moment, dumbstruck. 

“I recommend the ‘Cosmic Cookie Crunch’, it’s a popular milkshake we have,” 

“You have milkshakes?” Jisung asked and Taeil laughed. 

“Yeah, we’ve been branching out in order to have more business, it’s been working well,”

“Okay… I’ll have that then,” Jisung said and grabbed his wallet out his backpack to pay. “How much is it?”

“Don’t worry about the money, it’s on the house,” Taeil waved his hand at the money Jisung tried to pass to him. 

“You’re sure it’s okay?”

“You look like you need something nice to happen to you,” Taeil said, “I know our school is hell for me, it must be even more for you,”

Jisung stayed quiet at that, he couldn't deny that. 

“Okay, give me a minute, okay? Feel free to sit down anywhere!”

Jisung nodded and turned around, looking around the coffee shop for a spot to sit. He glimpsed at the corner of the cafe, where the windows didn't reach and seemed relatively secluded. He knew he could hide the content of the diary better there and hurried over to that spot. He sat down and looked over to see Taeil wasn't there, most likely working on his drink in the back, so he took out the diary. Jisung cursed in his mind at how the diary was such a bright color, red, how blatant in his hands it was. Jisung also traced his thumb on the initials, wishing he had blocked them out with marker to keep the diary’s true owner a secret. 

He looked up again and still didn't see Taeil. He opened the book to his bookmark, placing the yellow index card on the table. Jisung looked up once more before starting to read:

“I felt shameless going to that place, especially because he would be there, and I knew it. However, it was the best place to introduce to Ten first, so I entered with him. It was always a popular spot for teens, I knew that as well, but then I realized my friends were there… more importantly Jaehyun. The bell gave me away before I could hurry to back out of the coffee shop. People glanced over to see who had entered and noticed me… with Ten. 

I know this had tossed me into the deep end with Jaehyun, I could see it on his face. His eyes flickered between us and stared at Ten’s clothes with visible disgust. I bit my lip but I gestured to Ten to follow me to the counter and saw Taeil standing there. He had a somber expression and I had just wanted to say sorry, but I never have and never did. Instead, I ordered two coffees for us. 

We sat down for a moment and then Ten spoke:

“He really doesn't like me, huh?” Ten said, placing his hand in his palm.

“Jaehyun’s always like that,” Taeyong explained, “Don’t worry about him,” 

“I guess you’re right,” Ten said, but a playful smile came back on to his face. “I only have to worry about the person in front of me,” 

“Do you always have to do this?”

“Yep, I like what I see, did you have to stare at my stomach when I walked out?”

Taeyong choked on his spit and Ten laughed, clapping his hands together at the sight. 

“So?” Ten leaned forward. 

“So?” Taeyong asked, looking away from Ten and at the star covered wall behind him.

“You like what you see too?”

Taeyong stayed silent for a moment, when he began to speak, Taeil’s mother called his order number. Taeyong jumped from his seat and walked away in an uncool manner, he knew Ten was probably loving how awkward he was. He walked up to the counter, thanking her, before moving to go back to his seat. 

He sat down and passed Ten his drink. They chatted for a minute until Taeyong felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out, telling Ten to keep talking as he read the message. 

Jaehyun: So, is this your way of making me jealous? 

Taeyong rolled his eyes at that message before another popped up. 

Jaehyun: You can tell he’s gay from a mile away, that's what you want? To be outed? 

Taeyong: No, do you want to be outed with the way you’re acting? We’re not dating, Jaehyun!

Jaehyun: You know that’s a lie, Taeyong. 

Taeyong: No it’s not, we’re not boyfriends. We’re nothing but friends with benefits! You can say you love me, but I know you don’t. 

Jaehyun: Where the fuck is this coming from? 

Taeyong: You know what, nevermind, have fun sleeping with Eunji tomorrow since I heard she’s so excited to do it again.

Taeyong lo-”

“Jisung?” A voice called and Jisung jumped in surprise. 

He looked up and saw Taeil staring at him confused, his eyes glancing at the book in his hands. Jisung tossed the bookmark in and shoved the book in his backpack before walking up to the counter. 

“Sorry,” He said and Taeil simply smiled. 

“It’s okay, when I read I get like that too,” Taeil said, “Here’s your milkshake,” 

“Thank you,” Jisung spoke, forcing an awkward smile on his lip as he grasped it. He turned away and hurried back to his seat, sitting down comfortably again. He felt on edge for a moment, wondering if Taeil could have recognized the book, but he doubted it. It didn't seem like he did...

He examined his milkshake after calming down. It was a vanilla shake with what seemed to be scattered chocolate chips mixed in and on top was whipped cream with broken chocolate chip cookies and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. It looked cute and simple, so he brought his lips to the straw and took a sip. 

It was delicious… 

He continued to drink the milkshake and realized he hadn’t something like this in a long time. Most of the time he never went out of fear, especially before he moved, so he never had a chance to get milkshakes or other sweet things like this. 

The door opened to the coffee shop and Jisung glanced up, seeing a group of men. They looked young enough to attend school with him, but they must’ve been seniors. He had recognized seeing one or two before, but not the whole group. He looked back down at his milkshake, frowning at how it was already halfway gone. He took another sip as he watched the group walk to the counter, his eyes noticing how uncomfortable Taeil seemed to be. 

“Jaehyun-” 

Jisung choked on his milkshake, coughing and tapping on his chest. He felt the eyes lock on him and he wanted to slap himself, what a great job he did blending in....

“You okay?” Taeil asked and Jisung nodded. 

Taeil smiled and turned back to the group. “Anyway, what would you like to have? The same as usual?” 

“Yeah,” Jaehyun said, opening his wallet and passing the money to Taeil. The others followed suit and ordered their drinks as well as paid. 

Jisung couldn't help but throw small glances in Jaehyun’s direction, so that was him… He was handsome, like Taeyong, they would have made a good looking couple. He didn't seem like a person who would cheat so easily, but plenty of people didn't act like how they looked. Jisung learned that fact at his old school when one of the first people to bully him was one of the kindest acting in class. 

Jisung looked down at his backpack and knew that if he took out the diary, there would be risk of any of them recognizing it. Especially with Jaehyun as he used to be with Taeyong. Jisung drank the rest of the milkshake and tossed on his backpack, heading to the trash bin and throwing away the cup. He turned back to thank Taeil once more, however instead he noticed the group and Jaehyun looking at him. 

Jisung turned back around and left the coffee shop without another word. He hurried his steps, the feeling of paranoia trickling in as he rushed away. When he had ran far away enough, he paused, resting his hands on his knees as he bent over to catch his breath. When he stood up straight, he realized he went the opposite direction of his home. However, he didn't want to go back and have them see him again. 

Jisung walked forward and looked around the area he would always walk by, but never examine, as he walked to school. He noticed an empty playground to the far left of him and walked towards it, wondering how he never went to it at least once throughout his time here. He sat down on a swing and looked around. 

No one in sight. 

He took the diary out of his backpack and finished reading. 

“I locked my phone and ignored the messages he sent. I focused on Ten instead. It was easy to talk with him, there wasn't a need to hide anything, but I still hid part of myself. Those would come out later when I could trust him more, but so far, he had been a refreshing change to my life. 

He was honest, unlike many of the people here. 

I wondered if I was just using him to bother Jaehyun, or as a rebound. However, as I stared at him, I knew it was more. This was a person I could befriend, a person I could grow to trust, or at least I hoped. Ten was different, and I wanted, no, needed something different. 

After we finished our drinks, I showed him around town. I showed him the library, the dance studio, the bakery, and sights around the area. It was the most fun I had in a long time, I had felt natural.

He asked me to hang out again tomorrow. I’m supposed to go to the lake cabin, but maybe I could skip it this once? I’ll see what happens,”

Jisung closed the book and shoved it in his backpack. He sat there, contemplating what he read, gently swinging forward and back. 

Jaehyun and Taeyong’s relationship was rather dysfunctional. Jaehyun also seemed like a person with a temper… 

Could he be the reason Taeyong is missing?

Jisung shook the thought, “It’s too early to think about murder, I need to read more,” 

He stood from the swing and began to walk home. He kept thinking back to words and paragraphs in the book, what they meant and what it could lead to. He walked past a group of students absentmindedly, until his name was called. 

“Hey, Jisung!”

Jisung turned and saw Jeno with his friends, he said a greeting back. 

“We’re gonna go to the arcade, want to come?” 

“Maybe, next time?” Jisung spoke, “I promised my family to be home now,”

“Tomorrow then?” Jeno asked, Jisung wanted to say no but nodded. “Cool, meet us by the arcade around the same time, it’s further down from Coffee Calamity,” 

Jisung nodded and left, giving a hesitant wave to Jeno and his friends. 

When he made it home, he tossed off his shoes by the door and hurried to go to his room. He closed his room door and flopped onto his bed. He stared up thinking about his adventure to discover more. 

“Why does it feel like I’ve started something?” Jisung thought, asking himself. “I could end this now, but I’m not. I want to know…” 

Jisung sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. 

“Guess I’m hanging out with Jeno tomorrow…”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to contact me or become friends:  
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> Please comment! It really encourages me to write more! Thanks!


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